Global Berry is now supplying winter strawberries to Aldi from Bradon Soft Fruit Farm near Taunton, Somerset, with Angus Soft Fruits also reported to have invested in the project.
The greenhouse production facility uses LED lights and renewable energy to produce fruit from November to March, with water being recycled and plant waste spread on local agricultural land.
John Downes, managing director at Global Berry, told the local newspaper, “We have been supplying strawberries to Aldi since 2016 and are delighted to be able to introduce this exciting new technology with their support. The UK strawberry market has been growing consistently in the last few years so it’s great that we can now meet this demand in a sustainable way, while also being able to offer our team year-round employment.”
Julie Ashfield, Managing Director of Buying at Aldi UK, added, “Building long-term relationships with British suppliers has been key to our growth, and we’re proud to support British farms. Global Berry has been a trusted supplier for six years and we’re delighted that we have been able to help them develop this innovative technology at their local fruit farms. We’re looking forward to continuing our work with them on even more exciting projects in the future.”